Page 23 - Homes & Interiors Scotland

THIS LIFE

“I half-thought of buying the place at one point, but
seeing the figures I realised it was a lifestyle business. You are
not going to be driving a new car every few years or going on
foreign holidays. It’s all-consuming.”
Private work was slow to pick up at first. But there were
lucky breaks. Forter Castle in Glenisla was taking off as a
wedding venue and John became the chef on speed-dial.
“There is a lot of build-up and then one really intense day – I
quite enjoyed that,” he explains. “Then, after two years, some-
one said that doing weddings must be really nerve-racking.”
Puzzled, John asked why. “It’s one of the most important
days of people’s lives,” his friend replied. “If anything goes
wrong with the food, the day will be ruined for them forever.”
He laughs. “I’d never really thought about that before. But
my friend was right.”
Happily for him, nothing has yet gone disastrously wrong.
One wedding was called off just as he arrived at the gates –
he passed the groom’s family speeding off in the opposite
direction. John had all the food in the back of his 4x4. There
are, he told the mother of the bride, no refunds at this stage.
or Malaysia as soon as the doors were locked for the season – This was not an issue: the bride’s family wanted to sit down
he began to find the hours a slog. As did Kim. “When we been and have a meal anyway. “It turned into a party,” John recalls.
together for a few years, she said to me, ‘I’m a bit fed up looking “The bride didn’t even seem too upset.”
like I’m a single person.’ Anything that was on at weekends, she Other private work – dinner parties, shooting groups
was always there on her own because I was at work.” – built up. Then Port an Eilean House Hotel was bought
It was Kim who suggested that he go freelance, cooking for and restored as a country pile. John watched the renovation
small weddings, shooting parties and private dinners – which progress from his cottage, on the other side of the road.
was great until she needed to return to Australia to finish her “When ever anything like that happens in the area, I pop in
teaching qualifications. The northern area of New South Wales with my business card and introduce myself.”
has no hunting lodges requiring an expert to roast venison for The house keeper was delighted to meet him. The owner
the guests. John was back in the kitchen. had been bringing up chefs from Edinburgh. “She couldn’t
“I felt I was back to where I was trying to get away from. It believe there was one based half a kilometre away. They’re on
was a subtropical area. I was going through three litres of water the lochside, and I’m across the road and up the hill a bit.”
a shift and still feeling dehydrated. Cooking for Ian and his family and friends has become
“Australia has a great reputation for fantastic food, but if one of John’s most regular gigs. Like many of his clients, they
you’re outside Sydney or Melbourne it’s absolutely terrible. want something delicious and familiar. A jolly gathering of
Steak and chips or deep-frozen stuff. I was back to square one.” 30-odd old chums is not the place to be going all Noma and
It was time to move again. Friends who ran the Strath- serving moss and weeds. “Lamb, beef, venison – nothing too
tummel Inn were struggling with their business. John and Kim controversial. When you’re sitting down at a wedding or a
moved to the village to help out. And while he describes this as special occasion, you want something that everyone likes.”
“great experience”, it also showed John that running a country Being able to produce a repertoire of greatest hits, with
hotel was not for him. options for those with a gluten intolerance, is the essence

HOMES & INTERIORS SCOTLAND